August 2022 Newsletter
Chairman’s Corner
Roger Parks
Speeding up Social Games
Everybody is different when playing bowls. Some skips are dictatorial wishing to control their teammates’ game, i.e. design the head. Some are sticklers for rules, wanting to get it all right, i.e. fair play, and others are happy to let their team members play their own game (within limits) and play their bowls to the head as they find it. You can’t criticise any of these approaches because that is bowls.
In social bowls we want players to have fun and feel, irrespective of what position they are playing, that they have some freedom in their shot selection and not feel pressured by being requested to play shots they can’t do or achieve. However, at the same time it is noticeable that some games take much longer to play than others for reasons other than physical ability. This can be frustrating for other players involved in the game.
Regardless of the skipping style there are a few tips for speeding up your game and making it more enjoyable for all players. A few hints here can speed up games by at least 2 ends, even as many as 4 ends.
Skips place the jack rather than leads rolling it. (We have implemented this for non-daylight savings periods.)
Each following player to have a bowl in their hand when the player playing before them is on the mat.
Having played the shot, leave the mat, rather than hanging around waiting for your bowl to come to rest.
Each following player to take a position on the mat after the preceding player has left the mat. When leaving the end ensure the team holding the mat has a bowl on the mat. This determines who plays next.
When the last player has bowled all players at that end to be on their feet ready to leave the end, meaning not still sitting on the bench.
When the last player’s bowl has come to rest all players proceed together to the other end. Do this as briskly as you can. If you want to chat to your opponent wait until you get to the other end, under no circumstances stop short of the head for a brief chat. Having played your bowl, if you have a mobility problem, there is no reason why you cannot proceed to the other end immediately if convenient to do so (i.e. close to end rink, no game on adjoining rink).
At the conclusion of each end the nominated players should determine the score without any unnecessary measuring. If one side concedes there is no need to check by measuring. It’s a social game.
Avoid unnecessary extra visits to the head, but if required make visits briskly. Do not give advice to skips unless requested.
Never try to change a skip’s shot once the skip is on the mat.
Nobody is suggesting that these initiatives need to be applied to competition games which is different kettle of fish all together. Does it work? Yes, it has been done in the past at old Lindfield.
(I would like to thank Peter Duffy for his input on these tips.)
Movement at the Board
Deputy -Chairperson Willie Mok and Director Paul Goodwin resigned from the Board of Directors in June and the Board recently made the following appointments:
Barrie Jones Deputy -Chairperson
Nick Wiener Director
Gary Forster Director
We are grateful for the service Willie and Paul have given to the Board and welcome Nick and Gary to their new positions.
Annual General Meeting
This year’s AGM will be held on Saturday, 22 October 2022.
Roger Parks
Chairman
From the Women’s President
Lorraine Forster
The Women’s Championship Singles is at Finals stage with Louise Amos to play Susie Meares to decide our Women’s Singles Champion for 2022/ 2023
Women’s Pairs have progressed to the Finals with Anne Rands and Julie Dunn to play Louise Amos and Ngoc Hau in the coming weeks.
Following Julie Dunn and Lee Gardner having to withdraw from the Greenhorn Competition at Mosman, I was able to join two ladies from Seaforth and we were fortunate to win our section.
The Greenhorn Winners
Following three very enjoyable and helpful Pennants Practice Sessions, held by Susie Mears for Grade 2 and Grade 4, our Pennants teams are doing very well with the Grade 2 Pennants in an unbeatable position in their section. Grade 4 and the Open FIVES are both still in a position to win their grades with only 2 matches to play. Good luck to all players involved in the three grades. Our Open FIVES consist mainly of “newbies” who are really enjoying the experience of playing in their first pennants competition.
Grade 2 had a very close game against Belrose on Thursday 18th August as can be seen below with Julie Dunn closely scrutinising the result of the 12th end, with her opponent. The result of 8-13 was soon pegged back to a result on their rink of 22 – 20. Rink 2 had a draw at 18 all which gave Lindfield a winning overall result for the day. Well done ladies!
Ladies’ Pennants vs Belrose
Lorraine Forster
Women’s President
A Word from the Editor
Our Club continues to be very active, with several competitions underway and Pennants have also started. We have also been delighted to welcome a number of new members who will undoubtedly make their marks in the Club as we go forward.
We have now received a top up to our supply of FLEECES, including SMALL and EXTRA SMALL sizes. If you would like to purchase a fleece, please see me on a bowls day.
Pennants are now well underway, for both men and women. So far, we are doing quite well. See below for more information.
VALE: It is with sadness that we note the recent passing of Don Cross. Don joined Lindfield Rollers when the Gordon Club closed and his gentle and friendly nature were appreciated by all who met him.
Garry Lowder
newsletter@lindfieldrollers.com.au
What’s been happening?
Pennants
This year's pennant competitions are finally underway and our Club got off to a good start, with the Women's, Men's and combined Fives sides winning their first round games.
In Round 2 the results for the men were mixed – the Lindfield Division 3 team lost to Asquith 2 (50-55 shots; 1-9 points), while the Lindfield Division 4 team defeated Asquith (67-53 shots; 9-1 points).
You can view Men's Pennant results at https://results.bowlslink.com.au/ - click on NSW then Zone Nine. We have sides in Division 3, Section 2 and Division 4, Section 1.
You can view Women's Pennant results at https://northshoredistrictwomensbowls.com/draws/pennants/
Lindfield vs Asquith Pennants
Both Division3 and Division 4 of the Men’s Pennants playing at Lindfield, August 20th
Lee Gardiner
It is a pleasure to note that Lee Gardiner obtained her NSW Coaches Accreditation last June. She attended the course at North Ryde and is keen to represent our Club in her endeavours. She is now assisting Gerry Ryman with one of our promising new bowler prospects and Lee has also had her first session with a recent enquiry.
Roseville College (School Programme)
After a two-year absence, our “Young Ladies” activities, with girls from Years 10 to 12 at Roseville College, will restart a little later this year. The girls’ programme will span six consecutive Fridays from 14 October to 25 November, between 1.45pm and 3.00pm. A total of more than 130 girls will be involved, with around 22 in each session. The format will be similar to past practice and the girls will pay $11 each per session.
Competitions
The Club Triples, Men’s Major Singles, Men’s Major Pairs, Women’s Major Singles and Women’s Major Pairs competitions are all nearing completion. Remaining competitions to be held after Pennants are Club Fours, Handicap Triples and Mixed Pairs.
Ian Kimmorley, Louise Amos & Phil Lewis represented our club at Neutral Bay’s Peter Russell Trophy on Saturday, 16 July. They won one game and had two small losses and accordingly, did not advance to the finals.
We played the first round of the Bridge Trophy against Forestville RSL on Saturday, 30 July when we managed a total of 122 shots to Forestville’s 108 shots. This was also used as a trial for the Men’s Pennant competition.
We have entered four teams in the Zone Reserve Pairs competition, comprising:
Kuzma Petkovic & Gary Forster;
Ian Kimmorley & Willie Mok;
Morris Sher & Arnold Green;
Ian Holden & Phil Lewis.
This competition will be played on Sundays commencing on 11 September.
The Ku-Ring-Gai Shield is scheduled to be played at St Ives BC on Saturday, 24 September.
Know Your Fellow Bowler
ARNOLD GREEN – A MAN OF MANY TALENTS
Arnold and Avril Green at Cape Town, South Africa
Arnold Green was born seventy three years ago in Johannesburg, South Africa, half an hour before his twin brother, Harold (who now lives in Boston, USA). The family lived in the “illustrious” suburb of Mayfair, where his father had a pharmacy. At the age of 10, he moved to Cape Town for a year. Then it was off to boarding school, with Arnold and his twin joining their older brother at Queen’s College in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape.
The Green boys were all musical and in Arnold’s case it was percussion in the school’s brass band – cymbals and side drum – as well as guitar, which he played in folk and rock groups. He matriculated in 1967 and joined Barclays Bank for a while, before being conscripted into one of the South African Army’s Anti-Aircraft Regiments. There he worked as a pay clerk and earned one stripe to become a Lance Corporal. Continued exemplary service, including time camped in the bush, saw Arnold rise to the rank of Sergeant-Major.
After a year of compulsory military service Arnold continued to participate in annual army camps, which allowed his burgeoning pharmacy skills to be expressed by serving in the dispensary of military hospitals. He was by then studying pharmacy at Cape Town Technical College. And a good thing that was too, as it was there that Arnold met his wife to be, Avril. The pair graduated together in 1974 and were married in 1975. Pharmacy seems to have been endemic in the Green family and beyond, as his Dad and both of his brothers were pharmacists, as well as Avril, Avril’s uncle and a few cousins. But that is where it stopped: Arnold and Avril have two sons – Stuart and Justin – neither of whom is a pharmacist!
The Greens emigrated to Australia in early 1983 and settled in Sydney, where Arnold and Avril both had to write further examinations to requalify as Australian pharmacists. With that barrier crossed, and after another six years working in the industry, the Greens bought a suburban pharmacy in Collaroy Plateau in 1989, serving the local community, including the nearby RSL Village. For the next eighteen years this was their life but eventually, Arnold and Avril decided that it was time for retirement, allowing scope for travel and much needed R & R. For Arnold, that retirement is qualified by his continuing to work regularly as a locum in pharmacies, while Avril is kept busy as a volunteer in a variety of roles. In 2003, Arnold won a Medal of Excellence in Pharmacy Practice, awarded by the University of Sydney.
Arnold’s interest in music continues to this day, covering a broad spectrum of genres, including Classical, Jazz, Folk and Latin American. And he sings, playing the guitar in a folk duo and serving as a chorister for many years, most recently at the Great Synagogue in Sydney, where his son, Justin, is choirmaster. Not only is Arnold a talented musician, he is something of a linguist as well, having studied Italian since 2004; and he is now adding Spanish to his linguistic repertoire. Not surprisingly, he loves visiting Italy (who doesn’t?). And he loves Australia too, having been to many places around the Great Southern Land, with Lord Howe Island a particular favourite.
In 2004 Arnold joined Lindfield Bowling Club, after being recruited by one of his customers. At Lindfield he served on the Board for a number of years, stepping down when the amalgamation with Roseville took place. He continues to serve the Club by sourcing and obtaining a number of government grants that have enabled us to improve our facilities at the site. Bowls is not his only game, however, as these days he also enjoys playing golf and walking, and in the past his sporting feats have included soccer, rugby union, hockey and cricket. When it comes to his favourite cuisine, Arnold has only one requirement – that it be “good food”.
When asked what advice he would give to his 21-year-old self, he offered these words of wisdom:
“Life is not a dress rehearsal. Do what makes you happy and be prepared to give it a go, because you don’t want to die wondering.”
Oh, and “Eat your veggies and be good to your mother!”
Looking ahead …
CHRISTMAS SOCIAL
Garth Aston has arranged our Club Christmas Lunch for Sunday, 11 December 2022. It will be a ‘dine-in’ at the clubhouse, starting at 12 noon. The caterer for the occasion is a provider called “Flavours”, who will serve an exciting buffet lunch, including dessert.
The cost per person will be $85 and bar and wine will be at Club prices.
A sheet for RSVP and table bookings will be put up during October. Most tables will be for 6, but a few tables of 8 can be accommodated. Numbers will be limited, so an early RSVP is advised.
A Smile on Your Dial
Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away. – Benjamin Franklin
Today a man knocked on my door and asked for a small donation towards the local swimming pool. I gave him a glass of water.
If I had a dollar for every girl that found me unattractive, they would eventually find me attractive.
Relationships are a lot like algebra. Have you ever looked at your X and wondered Y?
My therapist said that my narcissism causes me to misread social situations. I’m pretty sure she was hitting on me.
If you replace "W" with "T" in "What, Where and When", you get the answer to each of them.
Why are goods sent by ship called CARGO, and those sent by truck called SHIPMENT?
A LOVING SON WRITES AN EMAIL TO HIS DAD AT HOME:
Dear Dad,
London is wonderful, the people are really nice and I do like it here, but Dad, I am a little ashamed arriving at my college in my pure-gold Ferrari 599GTB, when all my teachers, and many fellow students, travel by train.
Your loving son,
Nasser
The next day, Nasser gets a reply to his e-mail:
My dear loving son,
20 million US Dollars have just been transferred to your account. Please stop embarrassing us. Go and get yourself a train too.
Love,
Dad
MORE CLEVER BUSINESS NAMES
Finally:
“Have you noticed that all the people in favor of birth control are already born?” – Benny Hill
Till next time …
Garry Lowder
